Church leaders demand action on Senator Cherargei over 'violent' remarks against activists

The Church and Clergy Association of Kenya has strongly condemned Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei for making what it terms “unfortunate and unfitting remarks” during a church service in Kapsabet on November 9, 2025.

During the service, Senator Cherargei issued a warning to Kenyan activists he accused of undermining regional stability through “bad manners”, urging neighbouring presidents to crack down on them.

“I want to warn our activists who are busybodies… Stop exporting your bad manners to other countries. Stop it! I want to ask President Museveni and President Samia Suluhu Hassan, if you find any busybody activists who want to destabilise the peace and tranquillity of your countries, finya hawa uwarudishe nyumbani tuwamalizie (deal with them, then deport them to Kenya so that we can finish them),” he said.

The Clergy Association’s national chairman, Bishop Hudson Ndeda, noted that the remarks, made from the pulpit,  amount to "propagating physical violence against activists whose contribution to our democracy is vital."

Bishop Ndeda said the association was “shocked to see a senator take the podium in a church service and speak words that are not fitting for a leader.”

“In addition, it was both shocking and disturbing to witness the said senator defending himself by stating that the utterances were cautionary and plainly refused to apologise to the Kenyan people.

“The church condemns the unfortunate utterances in the strongest terms possible as they are not fitting of a leader in the office that Hon. Cherargei occupies. It is our view that the senator, being a state office,r has violated chapter six of the constitution on leadership and integrity and is therefore not fit to hold that office,” reads the statement.

The clergy are urging the Inspector General of Police to investigate the senator’s utterances and calling on the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to summon him over comments they say could fuel violence.

They also want the Senate to consider a censure motion against him, saying it would have been “advisable” for the legislator to resign since his conduct is incompatible with leadership in a democratic society.

The association further urged churches across the country to be more vigilant as the political season approaches, warning against allowing politicians to use the pulpit to sow division or threaten national cohesion.